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Re: Reeds and Water

Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-03-25 16:16

Water makes wood soft, which makes it more pliable. Wood becomes soft when exposed to water because:

http://www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/wood/water_effect.php

the cell walls of the wood, made of cellulose, have a higher chemical affinity for the hydrogen in water than the cellulose's own polymer chains.

The cellulose, now less strongly bonded to itself, having had water's hydrogen introduced to its chemical strands, is better able to untangle and stretch, making for less cellulose per unit area, decreasing the wood's strength. The science shows that while introducing more moisture breaks down more wood, that this cause and effect stop, and wood does not become weaker, once a certain point of moisture saturation is achieved.

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So there it is. Water: our reed's softener: as necessary as ultimately detrimental to the reed's strenth. It, along with the enzymes in saliva and the sheer physical abuse of vibration contribute to paradoxically bringing the reed to life, as sure as ultimately destroying it.

http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=401089&t=401089

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The second part of your question deals with reed storage. My personal approach is to keep my set of playing reeds in an air tight container (a zip lock big will do) with Boveda brand humidity packs. They come in different humidity levels; I choose 72%. These are the same exact thing you can purchase from Rico, who just repackages Boveda's packs. Better deals on the packs may be found at internet cigar shop accessories providers; or Boveda themselves http://www.bovedainc.com/. These packs are "two way." The absorb and release humidity, within reason, to keep the space they occupy at 72% humidity. But the bigger the space, and the more reeds being stored, the more of these packs (they come in different sizes) might be indicated.

My anecodtal findings are such that doing this not only aids in reed longevity, but keeps the reed's tip from developing the waves it sometimes does when allowed to completely dry and be rehydrated again. This wavy pattern results when the reed tip absorbs water at different rates, usually correcting itself once the tip has aborbed water equally throughout its width.

I am not a fan of products like ReedJuvinate being much better than standard humdity storage. My belief is based in part on the idea that if the product was all it was claimed to be, word of mouth would find everyone owning one. I also think it a bit alarmist in people's need to be concerned about reed sterility. I did though suggest it as an option the other day to a player who has medical conditions for which maintaining an extremely clean playing environment was indicated.

Final thought:

If you come across the Rico Reed Vault http://www.pro-music-news.com/html/11/e70113ri.htm and desire to purchase it, only to find out it's been discontinued, do note that is it nothing more than a rebranding of the Lock & Lock Brand 1.5 cup container http://www.amazon.com/Lock-1-5-Cups-Removable-Trays/dp/B0028LT9DI

(Disclaimer: zero affiliation with any companies mentioned here, including Rico, ReedJuvinate, Boveda, Lock & Lock, and Amazon.)

Post Edited (2015-03-25 16:41)

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